13 Zombie Animals in Movies

Zombie films are a genre done to death but keep coming back, no pun intended. Still, the genre has cemented itself as one of the best horror movie mediums. For good reason too; zombies are still scary– the idea of someone you know and love transforming into an obscene vandalism of organic matter is just terrifying. This also applies to zombie animals since they do share certain anatomical properties with us.

Speaking of zombie animals, those are no longer fictional. In case you’ve been living under a rock or in a doomsday bunker lately, there is actually a zombie deer disease outbreak happening in the US right now. It basically turns Bambi and his mother into decaying mindless aggressive creatures. That is definitely something Congress should consider a national emergency.

Should you be alarmed, though? Unless you love to eat venison or find deer attractive, then no. But then again, there are those who might, and they will surely cause the downfall of the human race. Hence, you might want to show them this list of zombie animal movies to reinforce the fact that even zombie animals are not to be cuddled.

A word of warning: half the films in this list will probably give The Room a run for its money when it comes to the worst movie ever made. Because really, most zombie animal ideas are just embarrassing. Even Sharknado looks decent in comparison.

Zombie Monkey (Zoombies – 2016)

Why have just one type of zombie animal when you can have a menagerie of them? 2016’s Zoombies definitely thinks big on that regard. It follows the story of a zombie monkey who unleashes hell in a zoo. Yes, that means zombie giraffe, zombie lions, and zombie Harambe. However, the monkey takes the cake for being the pioneer.

Zombie Crows (Resident Evil: Extinction – 2007)

Who you callin’ bird brain now, huh? Granted, the Resident Evil franchise has been practising inclusivity worthy of a PETA mention when it comes to zombies. So, it should not be surprising that they have zombie birds. Bring a flamethrower for these killer birbs, stop wasting your bullets.

Zombie Doberman (Resident Evil – 2002)

Anyone who’s ever played the classic Resident Evil games will surely know that the appearance of these hell hounds always equates to heart attacks. Even their film counterparts are just as iconic and formidable. Oh, they’ll play fetch with you alright, bits and pieces of you.

Zombie Slugs (Night of the Creeps – 1987)

As if slugs are not disgusting enough already. This is what happens when you play with a frozen body– you let loose slugs which turn any living creature into zombies. It also takes place in the best setting and premise possible for a zombie infection: prom night, because raging hormones are simply not enough.

Zombie Poodle (The Boneyard – 1991)

One of the reasons why zombie animals are often not included in zombie films: they will drastically lower the survival rate of uninfected humans. The Boneyard proves this when it turned a cute and cuddly poodle into an abomination worthy of John Carpenter’s attention. Basically, in the event of a zombie apocalypse, all dog owners are going to be eaten by their pooches.

Zombie Beavers (Zombeavers – 2014)

No, this is not the official term for Justin Bieber fans, unfortunately. Zombeavers is, well, you know what it is. Someone had a phobia involving beavers and decided to materialize their fear with a dam good SNL sketch. Just kidding, it’s a comedy horror movie… or is it?

Zombie Chickens (Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead – 2006)

This isn’t fiction, it’s happening in real life. Where else do you think McDonald’s chicken nuggets come from? Anyway, this is a serious comedy film and not an attempt by vegans to convince you to abstain from chicken despite the telltale signs. Also, you might need therapy after watching this, you’ve been warned.

Zombie Crocodile (A Zombie Croc – 2015)

Question: why do we even need zombie versions of these animals? It’s a bit redundant, right? Crocs already kill and eat everything in more brutal ways than Hannibal Lecter ever could. Still, if you ever need your daily dose of bad movie, this has you covered.

Zombie Horse (Blood Creek – 2009)

A zombie/undead horse sounds metal on paper and looks even more metal in practice. It can even be a saving grace for a bad horror movie, just like what happened on Blood Creek. Satan/Marilyn Manson/Jack Black would have been proud at the sight of such a nightmare mare or is it a bleed steed? Who cares, it’s a zombie horse.

Zombie Sharks (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – 2017)

Well, this is a similar redundancy to the zombie croc above. However, the execution is a thousand times cooler. It’s Disney, and they have the budget to make even zombie sharks look cool. Too bad the same cannot be said for Captain Jack Sparrow seeing as they butchered the character. Well done Disney, you turned Johnny Depp into a zombie of his former self.

Samantha (I Am Legend – 2007)

Most of the zombie animals in this list are just rabid fodder with no history or identity. That is why Samantha the German Shepherd from I Am Legend is a breath of fresh air and a bucket of tears for zombie movie fans. The dog we all came to love in this movie suddenly becomes a mutant/zombie after being bitten. Poor Fresh Prince had to strangle her to death before she fully turns.

Church the Cat (Pet Sematary – 1989)

Look here, this is how you do zombie animals. No over the top gore, awkward stunts, or expensive CGI are needed, just pure slow-burn dread. That is what Church the cat has come to represent and it arguably makes him one of the most well-known zombie animals ever.

Z-Rex (The Jurassic Dead – 2018)

Unfortunately, life did not find a way to bury this utterly bad zombie movie in the grave. So here we are, a film about a zombie T-Rex, or more appropriately: Z-Rex, courtesy of The Jurassic Dead. So, what the hell is this thing? A parody? Or an actual masterpiece beneath the facade of mediocrity? We will never know, but Jeff Goldblum has something to say about it: